Looking Long Term - education

[Goosebrown]

I want to post here, because it is about our 2nd Amendment rights, but it is not about the specific issue now in front of us.

We are facing a tough fight here and now, but matter how much we stress the crime numbers reducing or the rights to self defense, we are going to lose this fight in the long run...

If we continue to fight it the way we are now.

The number of households in the US that owns a gun is going down, and the number of guns each household that does own guns is increasing. Fine for us gun owners, but that means that fewer and fewer Americans have contact with guns. We need to change that if we want to survive the next 100 years or more.

I don't think we actually see that we are in a demographic crisis. We need to get more people shooting and owning guns. Not just more guns for those of us that have them already.

We need to start a movement to get shooting sports recognized in a wider pool and to get more new shooters to come into the sport.

I don't want to sound like a Phillip Reynolds exec, but shooting is addictive. Get people to try it in a positive environment, and they will get into it or at least come away favorably impressed.

We need to fight this battle now almost as much as we need to fight the one in our lap.

If you haven't taken an Appleseed class or something similar, you ought to. If you haven't taken a workmate or friend out to shoot, you ought to. I mean not just out in some backwoods shooting range, but to a real, organized, safe range with a real RSO. Getting people out into the most controlled and organized setting is really important.

This isn't about getting your kids into it, most of them will probably. This is about getting non-shooters into the sport.

My wife's company, a BIG company in SF, had a group bonding trip to an indoor range and the feedback was stellar. Bunch of mostly women, on the range with a short lesson and appropriate firearms. They all loved it.

We need to get that experience out for everyone we can possibly get to go.

Is anyone interested in working on some sort of program that we could put together to try and get non-shooters to try shooting? Something that dovetails with Appleseed and the NRA programs?

I think that in the long run we have to create more shooters or we are going to lose just based on the numbers.

[FoxTrot87]

Raahauge's Sports Fair is really good at that and an easy sell to friends, family, & colleagues.

The resources and costs associated with a voluntary program would make it very difficult.

Perhaps Calguns could start a similar event?

[CDFingers]

I agree that creating more shooters who love shooting is a good way to perpetuate our sport.

But teaching about guns alone is insufficient to ensure gun rights and our sports.

Young students have to learn how laws are made, how laws are over turned, and how to get out the vote to ensure our freedoms.

Here is something for your considerations:

If you plan for a year, plant rice and wheat.
If you plan for a decade, plant fruit and nut trees.
If you plan for a century, educate your children.

Thank you for your time.

CDFingers